October 23, 2025
A proposed $13.5 billion hyperscale data center, slated to be one of the largest in the world, has been put on hold following a negative recommendation from local planners and concerns from residents about its impact on the rural Treasure Coast landscape.
The project, named Sentinel Grove Technology Park, was unveiled to the St. Lucie County Planning and Zoning Commission on October 16. It is planned for a 1,218-acre site on former citrus groves at Orange Avenue and Minute Maid Road. The development would encompass up to 15 million square feet of data center infrastructure across several buildings—a footprint larger than 260 American football fields.
Despite its scale, the Planning and Zoning Commission voted 4-2 to recommend against approval, citing significant concerns over stormwater runoff, construction traffic, and urban sprawl into an agricultural region.
In a statement on October 21, Robert Provine, COO of development team member Timberline, called Sentinel Grove "a once-in-a-generation economic project for St. Lucie County." However, a day later, Timberline Real Estate Development announced it would "temporarily pause" the project.
Unprecedented Scale and Energy Demand
The project's proposal touts it as "one of the most significant single private investments" in the county's history, noting that no comparable data center projects currently exist in Florida. By comparison, the largest operational data center in the U.S., owned by Meta Platforms, spans 4.6 million square feet in Oregon.
Sentinel Grove's planned energy consumption is equally massive, with a capacity of 1 gigawatt (1,000 megawatts)—enough to power a city of one million residents. This is notable as the entire Treasure Coast region has a population of just over 721,000. Globally, fewer than 225 data centers have a capacity exceeding 100 megawatts, though gigawatt-scale projects are becoming more frequent.
Key Questions and Local Concerns
Critical details about the project remain unknown. Kori Benton, the county's Planning and Zoning Manager, confirmed that the ultimate owner, operator, and financing for Sentinel Grove are still unclear. The land is owned by Epic Estates, a Tallahassee-based investment firm that purchased the property for $15 million in July 2024. A spokesperson for Epic Estates did not respond to requests for comment.
Developers, including Timberline and HJA Design Studio, are seeking a special zoning district from the county to allow the data center to be built in a rural area. Neither company responded to inquiries about how they would address specific environmental concerns such as stormwater runoff, air pollution from diesel backup generators, and noise pollution.
The project, internally code-named "Project Jarvis" by the Economic Development Council of St. Lucie County, is shrouded in confidentiality. An EDC spokesperson declined to identify the company behind it and stated there is no connection to a rumored Google AI initiative of the same name.
The push for such massive data centers is driven by soaring demand for artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and digital storage. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates data centers consumed 4.4% of the nation's electricity in 2023, a figure projected to reach 12% by 2028.
Divided Local Impact
Proponents highlight the project's potential economic benefits. The proposal estimates Sentinel Grove would generate about $114 million in county property-tax revenue and $63 million for the school district, increasing their respective annual revenues by 16% and 6%. It would also create 370 jobs with salaries ranging from $75,000 to $110,000.
However, these promises are met with skepticism by nearby landowners. During the Planning and Zoning meeting, Cynthia Adams of the historic Adams Ranch pleaded with officials, “This is the last ag area we have left in St. Lucie County. Please don’t destroy it.”
The project's future now rests with the St. Lucie County Commission, which must decide whether to approve the necessary zoning changes. For now, the ambitious plan to build a global tech hub in Florida's citrus groves remains in limbo.
SOURCE TCPalm
